Malaysia backs international copros

MIPCOM NEWS: Malaysia’s government-backed Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) is supporting two international kids’ coproductions and has signed a distribution agreement covering Latin America.

Malaysia’s Animasia Studio, Hong Kong’s Agogo International and Spain’s Neptuno Films are joining forces on 2D animated action-adventure copro Kung Fu Chicken (26×22′). The show follows the adventures of a protection agency serving an island populated by birds.

Edmund Chan, MD of Animasia Studio, said Neptuno’s participation would help open up Spanish-speaking markets and Europe, while Agogo International would do the same in Chinese-language markets.

The second copro involves Malaysia’s Ed-Online Technologies, Singapore’s Scrawl Studios and the UK’s Bryant Whittle, which will co-develop animated preschool series Red, Yellow & Blue (52×11′). The series features a team of rabbits who must restore colour to a world that has been forcibly turned grey.

Animasia Studio and Ed-Online Technologies are both Multimedia Super Corridor Malaysia (MSC)-status companies. The MSC is a government-designated area in and around Kuala Lumpur managed by MDeC and aimed at promoting local digital and creative industries.

In related news, another three MSC companies have signed content distribution deals for the Latin American and Hispanic markets.

Animasia, animation specialist Backbone Entertainment and 3D animation specialists Les’ Copaque have each signed distribution deals with US-based production and distribution company Latin Media Corporation (USA).

The deals will see Latin Media distributing animated shows including ABC Monsters, Jinggo, Beanos, Garr, Sugar Pal and Upin & Ipin and Friends.

“MDeC aims to secure deals for at least five more animation coproductions at the market, worth an estimated US$10m in total,” said Kamil Othman, VP of the creative multimedia department at MDeC.